Hi everybody! This is the second part to the Hogwarts- the final year story. I think it's going really well, but let's see what you think first! Please read and review, as I'm still very new to this writing thang! Here we go...
"Ow!" yelled Harry, pulling away.
"What? What did I do?" asked Hermione.
"It's not you." he replied. "My scar hurt. The kiss, well, it was great!"
"Oh'" she blushed. "But if your scar hurt... what could be going on?"
"I don't know- it happens a lot now. Maybe he just got a new member. If so. I wonder who?"
"It won't be anyone we know," she said, pulling him closer, and kissing him once again.
She didn't know how wrong she could be.
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"Morsmordre!" Lord Voldemort said, pointing his wand towards Ron Weasley's arm. A scream of pain passed the boy's lips, as the Dark Mark was burned into his left forearm. His new master laughed, an evil laugh, and then touched Ron's arm. Ron had never experienced such pain, but with it came a surge of adrenaline, and a feel of triumph. He was excited, and his master invited him to join the circle of figures rapidly apparating. Ron recognised a few of the faces- Lucius Malfoy, among others.
"Who are we missing?" asked Voldemort, as the circle was almost complete. "Severus Snape." he said, answering himself. "But he is at Hogwarts."
"Sir, if I may talk, I can give you some interesting news on Snape." said Ron.
"Continue."
"He is working as a spy for the other side. For Dumbledore. I fear he is not faithful to you, my master."
"Weasley, you are wrong. They may think of him as a spy for them, but he is a spy for me, and no other. I have him under the Imperius curse. Have no fear- he is faithful."
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Later, Ron returned to Hermione's house, by the toothpaste portkey. He was shaky, but happy. Or so he thought. As he walked into Hermione's bedroom, he heard a voice say- "Let's not tell Ron." Wondering what he wasn't going to be let in on, he ran in, only to find his two best friends, kissing passionately. He was crushed.
"How long have you been hiding this from me? I can't believe you'd do that to me!" he cried.
"Sorry Ron, but it just happened! Is it a crime to kiss a girl?" Harry said, hoping he hadn't upset his best friend too much.
Ron disapparated.
"Ron? You can't apparate yet! you haven't passed your test! Come back!" shouted Hermione after him, but he had already gone, so couldn't hear. She looked, panic-stricken, at Harry, who was looking very shocked. He had a feeling he'd just lost his best friend.
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Two days later, Harry and Hermione walked hand-in-hand to the Burrow- Ron's house. Mrs Weasley opened the door.
"Oh, hello Harry! And you Hermione! How are you two? Are you dating? How good! I hope you've come to cheer up Ron- he's been in a lousy mood since he came home!"
"Oh, I hope we can. Where is he?" asked Hermione.
"In his room dear. Do try and make him less grumpy, will you? I think, I think he's missing his brother. We all do..." Mrs Weasley sniffed, and blew her nose loudly. Harry and Hermione went upstairs, to the smallest room in the house. Harry knocked on the door, but there was no reply. They entered the room, and were shocked to see that the orange Quidditch posters had been replaced by dark, almost evil scenes. Ron was huddled in the corner, with his back to them. "Go away." he said. "I don't need you."
"But we need you. Please talk to us." Harry said.
"You've got her now. you don't need a failure like me."
"You're not a failure!"
"Just leave. Please go. I'll see you at school."
"But..."
"GO!"
And they left.
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The next day they went to Diagon Alley, and bought the books they needed for their seventh year. It was the year of their N.E.W.T.s - Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, a very high qualification in the wizarding world. Harry and Hermione tried not to mention Ron all day, but everyone they met asked about him. They said he was at home and they didn't know why he hadn't come. Sure, they felt awful lying, but it was better than everyone asking why they'd fallen out. Harry thought Ron was being mardy, and jealous. It was quite obvious that he had liked Hermione though, and Harry had got a bit caught in the feel of the moment. But still, he had a relationship to begin.
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Three days before he was due to return to Hogwarts, Ron Weasley was doing some serious thinking about his life. It had only just sunk in that he had joined the most evil being on the planet. Lord Voldemort. Up until four days ago, he had been afraid to speak that name. Now it was the name of his master. The Dark Mark was stinging his arm, but he was unable to apparate to be with him, as of more reasons than one. Sure, his reason was that he hadn't passed his test, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to ever go back to him. "Yes, you do." said the voice of his master. Ashamed of what he had done, he bandaged up the Mark on his arm. It burned. But he didn't care. He had completely wrecked his life. "No, Harry wrecked it." he thought. "He ruined everything. So he must pay. He ruined my life, my master's life and he wants more. Now he's going to ruin Hermione's, and I can't bear that."
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Harry opened the letter Hedwig dropped on the window-sill, and sighed. It was his apparation test- in two days. It was something you couldn't practise, you just had to do. By the look on his girlfriend's face, she was worried about the same thing. Still, at least Ron would pass. He had done it to escape them, so when he took his test on the same day as him and Hermione he would pass, no doubt. "But I might not." he thought. "Hey, Hermione! Ron might have something over us, if we don't pass! This is our chance to get him back! You can't pass! Promise me.."
"I can't do that! I can't label myself as a failure!"
"You're not a failure, just someone who want her best friend back!"
"I'll think about it..."
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Dumbledore sat in his office, with Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout, discussing the new year, and how to cope. McGonagall was completely against the idea brought up by Flitwick, that Quidditch should be cancelled for the year, as it wasn't safe. But who would be for a proposition that cancelled a sport your house had won for the past two years? Then they discussed lessons. It was important that the new seventh years were treated like adults- most of them had been through a lot more than adults. Then the subject of the three top students, for different reasons, came up.
"Please, you may have heard of the tragic death of Percy Weasley," they nodded silently at Dumbledore's words. "Well, as you can imagine, his brother Ron may be acting slightly differently, so don't be too hard on him, or his sister for that matter. I will try and make sure it doesn't affect their school work. I hope you will support me in this." They all agreed that they would be nicer to him, so as not to disturb him. "And now, our new head girl and boy, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter. As you know, they are both in Gryffindor, which puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the house to live up to their high standards."
"Professor, if I may interrupt, I do not feel that young Harry Potter was the right choice. It seems he has a certain disregard for rules, and I do not think that this is a good quality for a head boy of Hogwarts. I would have much preferred say, Draco Malfoy for the position." said Snape, disagreeing.
"Well I do not. I feel Harry will benefit a lot from being head boy- he is the perfect role model for young boys. And as for Malfoy, well, you said yourself that his father is right in the inner circle of Lord Voldemort. I do not take that to be good for people to look up to and admire. I have picked them, and my decision is final. As I was saying, I have high hopes for these two in particular, and I expect you all to be offering extra classes to them, so they can aim for the highest level exams. The whole year is particularly talented- I even expect Neville Longbottom to do well. Well, good luck for the new year, for all the houses, and Quidditch will be on as normal. Goodnight!"
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So what do you think? Don't dare leave without reviewing! The more good reviews I get, the more likely I am to put up the next part! You have been warned...